EU panel labels university study of Monsanto GM corn inadequate

October 04, 2012|Reuters

* Study "of insufficient scientific quality", says EFSA

* Findings have no bearing on safety of GM corn, it says

* Study author questions EFSA's GM assessments

By Charlie Dunmore

BRUSSELS, Oct 4 (Reuters) - A French study linking a type ofgenetically modified corn to health risks in rats was ofinsufficient scientific quality to draw any conclusions on thesafety of such crops, an initial review by the EU's food safetywatchdog has found.

Last month, researchers at the University of Caen said ratsfed on Monsanto's NK603 GM corn or exposed to its top-sellingRoundup glyphosate weed killer were at higher risk of sufferingtumours, multiple organ damage and premature death.

The study led Russia to temporarily ban imports of NK603,which can be found in internationally traded animal feed, and isdesigned to be grown in conjunction with use of glyphosate tocontrol weeds.

France's government said it would also ban imports if thefindings are confirmed, but other experts have questioned thestudy's methods and Monsanto said it felt confident its productshad been proven safe.

"Considering that the study... has unclear study objectivesand given its inadequate design, analysis and reporting, EFSAfinds that it is of insufficient scientific quality for safetyassessments," the European Food Safety Authority said in astatement on Thursday.

Among other criticisms, the panel of EFSA scientists thatreviewed the paper said the authors had failed to establishappropriate control groups as part of the study, and had chosena strain of rat that is prone to developing tumours during itsnormal lifespan.

"Therefore, EFSA concludes that the study as reported doesnot impact the ongoing re-evaluation of glyphosate and does notsee a need to reopen the existing safety evaluation of maizeNK603," the panel concluded.

Monsanto said EFSA's findings confirmed the positive safetyassessments that its products had received by regulatorsworldwide.

"Monsanto's products are subject to detailed scrutiny andsafety testing. It is appropriate that claims like those made inthe publication... should be scrutinized in the same way," thecompany said in a statement.

WATCHDOG CRITICISED

The safety watchdog said it would ask the authors to providefull details of the study's design and procedures, ahead of afinal review due by the end of the month.

But the study's lead author, Gilles-Eric Seralini, said hewould only make further information publicly available if EFSApublished all the data from its 2003 safety assessment of NK603,which concluded that it was as safe as non-GM corn.

"To play fair they can't keep their data secret. Theauthorisation of these products is based in our view on data anda methodology that are even more faulty," he said.

Campaign group Friends of the Earth accused EFSA of puttingthe interests of biotech firms ahead of public safety concerns.

"For the past decade, EFSA has consistently sided with thebiotech industry and disregarded health or environment concernsabout genetically modified crops. Instead of picking holes inpeer-reviewed research, they should take public concernsseriously," said food campaigner Mute Schimpf.

Only one GM crop, MON 810, is currently grown on acommercial scale in Europe - a pest-resistant corn variety alsoproduced by Monsanto - which covers about 115,000 hectares offarmland, mainly in Spain.

That compares with about 160 million hectares of GM cropsgrown worldwide, including varieties of cotton, soybeans andmaize.

But while there is virtually no demand for GM foods in theEuropean Union, the bloc imports millions of tonnes of GM animalfeed each year from major growers including the United States,Argentina and Brazil.